“SUCCESS IS GOING FROM FAILURE TO FAILURE WITHOUT A LOSS OF ENTHUSIASM”- WINSTON CHURCHILL
Success is a broad term. What one person defines as successful the next person may not. However, most people view the most common, obvious sign of success by their financial means. Success equates to money right? Well, a lot of the time it does. I mean the best athletes in the world are there because they are the best. They have succeeded in being the best in their chosen sport and so they are compensated extremely well for it (most sports anyway), that being on a world wide stage. Then to micro niche it, you could be successful among your friend group. However with any type of success, no matter where it sits on the scale, comes some sort of jealousy.
In the past few years, I have changed my thinking and the way I look at or view success/successful people. Jealousy is a pretty common/normal human emotion I believe. Everyone at some point in their life has felt it…..surely? So, the most common emotion to feel when we see someone with something we want (money, cars, holidays, boats etc- to name the superficial things) is that of jealousy or envy. I’ve felt it, sure, plenty of times, however now I don’t view it like that. I have been lucky enough to learn from some world renowned coaches how to turn this emotion of envy or jealousy into a productive, motivating emotion. To some degree it goes against human nature, so it takes some work, but once you can use it for a more positive emotion it sets you free.
When I meet someone I personally view as being successful I am no longer jealous. I am HAPPY. I love that they have an awesome business that allows them to make 7 figures a year from their laptop, working from anywhere and always travelling! I’m not jealous because it shows me its possible. Why is that person different to you? If they have achieved something they want and you define that person as successful then why can’t you do likewise?
A MINDSET SHIFT
By viewing someone else’s success as a positive, motivating emotion it gives you a clearer image as to what needs to be done to get there. Instead of disliking out of jealousy someone who is successful, study what they have done to get there. Learn from them. Watch them and even ask them. If someone has done it before you, IT IS POSSIBLE. The success of others should bring you hope. Their success should motivate you to focus more and work harder for whatever it is you want to succeed at, showing you its not that far away!
ITS NOT LUCK
One of the things I hear often from people who still focus on the jealousy emotion is that someone successful is ‘”lucky”. That word “lucky” is constantly used. They are lucky, she is lucky, he is lucky – its easier for someone to accept luck rather than spend some time on thinking how that person achieved what we desire. Very rarely did that person you are jealous of win the lottery or get handed a multi million dollar business and sustain it. Very rarely does luck have anything more than a small, tiny slice to do with it, but very often this is all I hear. Shift away from saying people are lucky, for we have no idea how hard they have worked behind closed doors. Instead of brushing it off as luck in your head or among your friends, think about how hard they must have worked to get there. Put a spin on your thinking and how you perceive their situation. This will make a huge difference to your overall outlook on life and help to stop unhelpful, negative emotions!